Alternate Best Actor 2020: Mark Rylance in Waiting For the Barbarians

Mark Rylance did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying The Magistrate in Waiting For The Barbarians. 

Waiting For the Barbarians is a well shot film with some realized potential, yet feels somewhat underdeveloped at times, about a humanitarian magistrate of some colonial outpost coming into conflict with a punitive colonel (Johnny Depp) who is sure an uprising is coming against the outpost. 

Mark Rylance, though he has actually appeared in films for awhile now, is appreciated in his seeming new devotion to make an impact on cinema as he has so notably on the stage. This is much appreciated for what he offers, like his spiritual predecessor Paul Scofield, is something rather idiosyncratic in his performances. We find that here as we open the film with the arrival of the quietly sinister colonel, while we see Rylance's magistrate going about his duties. Rylance has a unique way about him as his charisma is almost entirely within quietude yet within that it is something palatable. There's just something naturally engaging about Rylance which works wonders for his role of a man, who very much isn't trying to make some big statement, rather he is trying to craft a peaceful existence. He's wonderful in his first few scenes of just dealing with various things including chatting with the colonel. Rylance projects an earnest and amiable quality as he asks the colonel different seemingly minor questions, like the nature of the Colonel's odd sunglasses. Rylance does do things with this. One is creates this naturally inquisitive spirit abut the magistrate. He shows us a man who wants to know things, he wants to learn things about others and is eager to do so. At the same time he also fashions this lack of worry really within the man who sincerely voices his disbelief that there are any barbarians waiting at the gate, and Rylance carries an innate joy of a man very much willing to dispel any such rumors. 

Rylance is wonderful in expressing the way the man goes about his job. This as he describes with a "touch there and a nudge there" he expresses this natural grace of the character. His delivery isn't of a man who is in any way naive, rather it is with a gentle confidence that Rylance expresses this sentiment. We see this in action in speaking to two native men who were arrested for stealing. Rylance portrays this careful process of the magistrate to attempt to understand before laying judgment upon them. His eyes are filled with such an empathy and wish for communication. This as the magistrate speaks to the men, in their native language, Rylance keeps enough inquisition but also carefully, and calmly asking a few questions. This against the Colonel who keeps a distance and intensity explaining his violent methods of "patience and pressure". Rylance's reactions to these beautifully express the honest nature of the character as this good person more than anything. I think this is where you can see just the sheer brilliance of Mark Rylance as a performer overall. This as he asks each question to the colonel about his methods with a soft even warm delivery. Yes Rylance in that kind of delivery is still able to be incisive in his own way. Rylance shows a man very much pressing for an actual truth for the Colonel, also with patience but without pressure.  

Rylance becomes this representation of humanity within an unbelievably cruel system represented by the Colonel, and later his dog Officer Mandel (Robert Pattinson). There is a powerful moment due to Rylance early on after he sees the results of the Colonel's torture, a dead man and a brutally tortured one. Rylance aghast reaction is potent in representing the real sin of the action as there is this sense of disbelief just as there is horror. I love the poignancy he brings as he speaks to the still living man with as much sensitivity as he can muster while his eyes still capture the terror he has seen. His initial reaction to the Colonel projecting this controlled discontent, someone still working within the system, but trying to speak his mind best he can. There is a later moment where he writes his dissatisfaction to his home government. Rylance speaks the words with a sense of disbelief and just anxiety. Rylance showing a man who sees it as more so a strangeness that anyone would be so cruel towards the people. Rylance suggesting a man where such actions are essentially a foreign ideal more than anything else. Rylance's performance in a certain sense sets up what will eventually be the downfall for the magistrate. This as grants the sense of this truly good man who is unable to fully comprehend the cruelties the men from his government, or at least perhaps doesn't want to. 

A simple moment I love in Rylance's work is when the Colonel initially leaves he tries to purge everything the Colonel had done. There is just this exasperation of trying to make things normal again, as some attempt to make a decent place for the people once again. We then follow The Magistrate as he treats a mistreated beggar woman, where we see the Magistrate's methods as opposed to the Colonel. Rylance delivers this kind of specific gentle warmth that emphasizes the honesty of the car of the magistrate. There is no patronizing sense in these moments. His eyes rather carry the sense of a man who wants to understand just as he wants to help. There is no simplicity about the man's manner, as Rylance's portrayal grants a certain sophistication to the man's noble intentions. He treats the woman with care of a truly honest and good man. Yes the home countries quest continues. There is a wonderful moment for Rylance where a less aggressive officer mentions that barbarians might've have been chasing them. Rylance's delivery of "you sure it was barbarians" is perfection. This as he speaks the final word almost as a joke, expressing the man firm disbelief in the claim. This followed by his explanation of the situation, this with a gracious smile and endearing accentuation to the foolishness of attempted oppression. Rylance creates the sentiment that the xenophobic worldview should be no more than a comedy.  

After returning the injured woman to her people in a long trek (that is a touch drawn out within the narrative), which ends in perhaps The Magistrate recreating some very minor connection to the locals that had been ripped by the colonel, he returns to find the openly sadistic Mandel starting new cruelties against the natives. This time though with The Magistrate faces charges of having consorted with the enemy by helping the native woman. Rylance becomes heartbreaking in showing this good man trying to do anything now that the men even actively beat him if he attempts to interfere as they press him with trumped up charges. What makes Rylance so powerful though is the way his delivery attempts to maintain this dignity in the man just as the brutal man actively wish to steal of him. He speaks still with the man trying painfully to maintain some conviction even as his eyes convey the sense of growing desperation and pain he is personally suffering. Rylance is convincing in creating the sense of this sort of saintly nature of the man who tries to protect others even as he finds himself under the boot heel of his own government. Rylance is such a dynamic performer as he says so much even in his stare down as he and the Colonel come to verbal argument. Rylance delivers such a cathartic dissatisfaction and passion as he directly speaks that the colonel deserves to be hanged for his actions. This leading to the magistrate just being beaten down with purposeful humiliation. Rylance though maintains still that exact nature of the man even in this. His quiet prodding of his torturer resonate so remarkably again as Rylance pierces through even as he still speaks so gently. This as the intensity of his belief is all still in Rylance's work even as he almost speaks in a whisper. Rylance realizing so poignantly the kind spirited nature of the man that remains even after being inflicted with only the most severe cruelties. This is a great performance by Mark Rylance, as even as the film is not always consistently compelling, Rylance is. He finds the genuine human connection and emotion within what is in a way a very cold fable. This as he manages to craft a notable portrait of humanity within a world of cruelty, and fittingly does so with a quiet grace.